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the daffodils are drowning

The rain has been coming down so hard that every morning, when I go out to get the newspaper (yes, we are still hooked on that arcane habit), a few more daffys are lying down in the mud. I planted them for the cheerful splashes of color around the yard, but picking them is the only sensible thing to do, under the circumstances.

On the advice of Food Dude, I spent some time tracking down “Q” tonic for R’s birthday gin and tonics. At $7.00 for a four-pack, the best thing I have to say about it is that the cute little bottles make nice containers when the goal is to feature individual flowers. The big yellow at the top is Narcissus ‘Colossal’. I have a batch of these right by the entrance to our lane and another along the fence. They are so big and bold that we can enjoy them even from a distance. Below it is Mt. Hood, the largest of the whites. The itty bitty guys on the right are N. hawera. They are so dainty that their best use might be in pots on the deck where they could be enjoyed at close quarters. The yellow on the bottom left is ‘Quail’. I have these mixed in with the ‘Colossal’, where they hold their own by virtue of their intensity of color… not a color I would choose under any other conditions. In the center is ‘Thalia’, perhaps my favorite, with two or more flowers to a stem. Bottom right, N triandrus ‘Lemon Drops’ comes in a close second. The tiny tete a tete is the first to bloom (over and done with) and ‘Salome’ is yet to come…making for a long season of cheer. In deer and gopher territory, you gotta love daffodils and alliums, and I do.

I don’t do much mail order, because we have so many excellent sources nearby. Bulbs are the exception. John Scheepers puts out a catalog with a very good selection of hard-to-find varieties: everything from oddball alliums to every weird fritillary. I try to add something new (preferably strange) every year. For the less exotic choices, Breck’s is hard to beat.

Maybe I can lure you up here for a Bulb Sale road trip next fall? The UW Arboretum has such an amazing one, I haven’t ever had to order bulbs by mail. They have everything you’d expect and many unusual selections too. I do love the oddball bulbs too!

I posted reply to your pieris question but then thought maybe you wouldn’t see it, since I almost never get around to replying to comments there. Plus, I was overdue for a visit here! I believe the one you are wondering about is Pieris formosa var. forrestii, of which there are several cultivars, including ‘Wakehurst.’ Does it look like the one in this link? http://www.themagnolias.co.uk/images/april2002/pieris-formosa-forrestii-wakehurst.jpg If Grace weighs in otherwise, I’ll let you know. I would trust her over me on plant ID any day.

PS Your daffs are so beautiful, from the tiniest fairy flowers to the big bold as brass trumpets! I kind of like when the wind/rain blows a few down, so I feel like I can pick them without depriving anyone.

Wendy~Speaking of Mason jars (never in short supply around here), a very fancy shop next to my son’s coffee place makes gorgeous mixed bouquets in them…get this: charging $8 and up for the jar. I love the look too…thanks for the reminder.

Karen~Ooh, a bulb foray sounds fab! I always get a few of the standbys at planting time, when they are ON SALE at the local one-stop, and think “this will do it”. Then the catalogs come, and I am a goner. The Breck early order book just came yesterday, with $25 off on orders of $50 and up.

Thanks for looking into the pieris for me. That one is a beauty, but the one disturbing my sleep is a paler pink than that with almost yellow overtones. The search goes on.